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Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Chia Seeds

In Christopher McDougall's Born to Run, apart from the story of the Tarahumara, he also mentioned one of the food that they ate, a drink the Tarahumara called iskiate and which supposedly gave them the energy to run all day. The main ingredient that went into iskiate is Chia seeds.

I have been eating Chia seeds for the past 2 months or so. Did it gave me the additional energy that I need? The verdict is still out since I am not doing a great deal of running. But I am eating them regularly if not for the energy but for the many health benefits that purportedly comes from it.

But just how exactly does one eat Chia seeds? In the book, chia seeds is added to water and lime juice and stirred until the Chia seeds expands and dissolve into a soft gel. Nectar is added to taste. This is a picture lifted from this website. Doesn't look very appetizing does it?

Me? I am the lazy sort and I can't be bothered to go through all the trouble. These are some lazy man way to eat Chia seeds.

1. Put 2 teaspoons into your drink. Fruit juice or milo. No need to add anything else. Great as a pre-run drink.

2. Sprinkle them on bread spread. I love it on kaya

3. Add to bread, muffins before baking

4. Add them to pizza in addition to the chilli flakes and cheese

5. Add them to egg or tuna mayo for a delicious sandwich

6. Add as toppings to ice cream

In fact, they are so versatile that one can add to almost anything or just eat it on its own.

Finally, where to get them in Singapore?

I got my first bottle from a shop in Parkway Parade at $15.00 for a 250gm bottle. They are also available in satchet from the major supermarket, marketed as Chia Shots but I think this one is quite ex. Finally, they can be purchased from this blogshop at $19.50 for a 400 gm pack.

Hi there, Koh! I'm Chewy Loh from BGO Ecoshop. I chanced upon your post and saw your link to my company's website. It is heartening to see more and more Singaporeans getting to know beneficial health foods. As a small token of appreciation, I would like to offer you and your readers a 10% discount coupon on our Superfoods category: